After Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Max Muncy hit a solo home run against Trey Yesavage in the eighth inning of Game 7 of the World Series, the Toronto Blue Jays still led 4-3.
Manager John Schneider trusted his closer, Jeff Hoffman, to preserve the 1-run lead.
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Not only was that trust betrayed when Miguel Rojas’ solo home run tied the game 4-4 in the ninth inning, the Dodgers denied the Blue Jays a championship on their home field. Will Smith’s home run off Shane Bieber in the 11th inning lifted Los Angeles to a 5-4 victory and their second consecutive World Series title.
After the game, Hoffman made it clear who he blamed for the Blue Jays’ loss.
“I cost everyone in here a World Series ring,” Hoffman said, via Jesse Rogers of ESPN. “It feels pretty shi—.”
Rojas’ home run was the low point of Hoffman’s appearance, which resulted in his first blown save of the series. But he also recorded four outs in Game 7, including two via strikeout. Hoffman was hardly alone in finding a reason to accept the blame for the loss.
Bieber allowed the decisive home run to Smith. Alejandro Kirk hit into the game-ending double play. Daulton Varsho needed only to hit the ball to the outfield with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the ninth inning to win the game. Instead, he hit a ground ball to second base and Isiah Kiner-Falefa was thrown out at home plate.
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Schneider, sensing the moment, said he called his first team meeting of the season after the game. He used the occasion to send a reassuring message to his players.
“I said thank you probably about 10 times,” Schneider said. “And that was the main message. I’m sure I’m going to talk to them all again, but I said thank you. I said, I’m sorry that we’re feeling this way right now. It definitely could have been the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of emotions. So I said thank you. And this is a group that I’m never going to forget.
“They’re going to have a place in my heart, every single one of ’em. So that was the gist of it.”
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